Disclaimer :I don't own the Teen Titans, but I do own Jack Shoreshooter. So don't you use that character, unless of course you talk to me first.

Cuiasodo: Thanks again for your useful reviews, I didn't notice the computer had changed tackle to talk; however, I want your point of view for the story too.


Robin opened his eyes, feeling the pain run through his body. Something, had saved him, something had changed his course just in time to avoid death. The only thing he saw then was the huge black dog, standing up, and walking away, to disappear between the shadows.


"This just seems too easy." Slade said to himself letting down the last of a dozen beaten guards. "It feels so simple to steal something, when nobody has energy left to stop you."

The robot next to him lightened his way, crossing the hall full of machines and formulas in large blackboards. Their goal: a lonely statue in a glass cylinder, waiting motionless to be restored. Slade came near, touched the glass and stared at the rock; it was motionless, lifeless, and almost hopeless to any efforts of scientists to get her out of that rock state.

"Lets see." Slade said lowering his tone, making it a whisper. "If you are some use to me this time."


Robin laid his hand gently over Ravens shoulder, and gave her a flashlight. The hospital was now a maze of shadows and moans of those dying without hope. Even now, resting on opposite beds, their friends suffered the consequences of the Hounds venom.

"The doctors say their bodies are not the ones poisoned." Robin informed, his voice almost broken, contained his despair. "Their minds are being tortured, somehow, there's nothing to be done; but wait."

"I can't believe I was so helpless." Cyborg sighted sitting in a chair next to Beast Boy's bed. "I… I couldn't see what I was doing."

"What happened to you?" Raven said, hiding, as always her face under her cloak. "You seemed disturbed."

"I saw" Cyborg said slowly. "Myself become a robot, completely, there where scientists, wanting to take away my human self. And no matter what I did… I couldn't stop them." His voice fell so did his gaze, he was also feeling desperate.

"It's okay." Robin said, walking silently over to Starfire's bed. "We didn't know what to expect. It won't be like this next time."

"The problem is: When will next time be?" Raven said coolly looking at Robin as though he had the answer.

"Yeah. I mean how are we goanna make it without Beast Boy and Starfire?" Cyborg complained standing up his chair. A loud, deep moan came from upstairs, followed by screams and crying. Since the city had no power, the medical equipment was useless, and many had died already. However, the people had returned to the city, because, the rumors where; the Hound had gone.

"I'm not saying we are going to fight him now, but, we have to do it sometime." He walked cross the room and took a look outside the window. The city was a sea, of darkness and sorrow, cars and flashlights lightening what they could where like boats, lost in the storm made by the titan hiding between the shadows. "Anyhow. I'm more concern about Slade. This whole thing of the energy was his idea. Wonder what he is up to?"

"Let's hope things clear out soon enough" Raven said moving next to him, invisible, between the darkness. "And that it doesn't get any worse. I wonder… what Jack is thinking right now…"


"See? I told you it would be fun." The rough, low voice of the Hound echoed in the alleyway. His yellow gem like eyes fixed on the hospital in front of him. "Did you saw how that Cyborg went wild? You can't tell me that isn't fun! Besides, it ai'nt everyday you get to kick the local super hero team's ass."

"You may be right." Jack agreed also looking at the building. "But we're not done yet. We still owe them the "Grand Finale". Shall we?" The Hound smiled in a joyful, proud way.

"That's my boy." He told Jack. "Always finishing our work. Yes, we haven't played enough yet. And who knows? Maybe even the raven would come play with the dog." Its teeth shone between the shadows, like a long line of knife, one next to the other, and next second, they were gone.


"Well?" She said, waiting once more for an answer that didn't come. "What are we doing?"

"As long as the city remains like this the only thing we can do is wait, for that dog or Slade to appear." Cyborg said having a drink of Coke from the can. "What else?"

He lightened Starfire with an incorporated lantern in his arm, she was asleep alright but her face changed every second, from happy, to nervous, then sad, suddenly horrorstruck or about to cry, it was the most express full nightmare anyone could see. Beast Boy in the other hand moved each while or mumbled something in his sleep; he also wasn't having any good dreams. None of them woke up, no matter how hard a noise was or how dreadful their dreams where, they were trapped in their nightmares.

"We should…" a sudden sound cut off Robin and made him grab his transmisor out of his belt so fast it almost slipped out of his hands. There was activity going on the scientific research lab on the east of town. The lab where the Titans had taken Terra to be re-animated. Nothing was said; they looked at each other and ran out of the room.

The streets were still dark, Cyborg lighted the way for the others to follow, running along they were the only ones left outside, or at least that's what they where thinking. Like if the shadows were alive a huge black figure jumped out of an alleyway and blocked their way, five feet above the ground two yellow gems shone maliciously. A wide, sullen smile also floated, showing away about a hundred long blade-like teeth.

"We meet again." The Hound said. "Are you ready to fight or may I toy with you some more?"

"We'll see about that!" said Cyborg showing his blast canyon, trying to hide he was nervous. The images of his hallucinations were still torturing him like something nailed to his skull; he could still see those scientists taking notes and making "upgrades" to his body while he watched incapable of stopping them. He made a shot, light spread everywhere but nothing was seen, the Hound had moved and was now behind Robin preparing to crunch him.

However Robin had already heard the dog run around him and made an spectacular backwards jump, landing over the Hounds head, and dodging its horns made a sharp hit right on its forehead. The hound growled with anger and struck him with its right claw, missing again. Cyborg meanwhile aimed to the Hounds chest, yet he couldn't lock the target with so many movement going on.

"You go ahead and stop Slade!" Robin shouted to Raven, who was floating several feet above them. "I think he is after Terra! Run!" he dodge-rolled to avoid the Hounds claws once again.


Raven flew right away to the science research lab leaving the loud battlefield behind, the lab was as dark as the rest of the city, yet, under the soft moonlight that had just appeared behind a cloud, movement could be seen. And there was a lot of movement going around. When Raven glided lower to sneak at the main hall window she saw not only Slade, standing next to the complex machine that held Terra, but about five dozen of robots between ninja like ones, big strong ones and a funny kind of crab bots, with needle like pincers, all waiting for their master to make his move.

Raven glided fast, but silently to a security door near the base of the hall, quietly broke through the lock to open the door. Once inside she made her way down the corridors, getting into the hall, all the way there was covered by the unconscious bodies of the security guards, helpless as usual. She reached the hall, Slade hadn't moved an inch, neither his robots, Raven hid behind an old big machine near the door, and waited. Slade got a kind of remote control and entered a code on it; there was a loud noise, a loud cracking coming near, like bolts of lightning, and so the lab lights went on, the machines worked again, and Raven's hiding spot was gone.

The old machine turned out to be an electrical crate made to transport materials from a room to another, and now energy was back it had moved on to its next assignment. Slade's robots saw Raven uncovered and began shooting without mercy, she took a large supercomputer and blocked the laser beams with it, then threw it to some nearby foes and glided over to Slade covering herself in a psychic shield, Slade contained her charge against him with a whole body defense braking her in the spot.

"So you come for your little stone cold friend don't you?" He said arrogantly. "Why don't you just sit down and see how grown ups manage things up?" And so he threw her to the floor breaking her shield, but didn't attack, in fact, he turned around and hold his hands behind his back. The robots stood still. "You know? I myself was quite surprised when they found a sparkle of life in this statue, however I knew it would take them time to return her to life. But now, they have got this machine, and I…" he took CD out of his belt. "…Got this, the missing part of the puzzle that will return my apprentice to me."

"Even if she does return, she will not work for you, not anymore." Said Raven standing up as quick as she could and stared in alert for danger. "How is that useful for you?"

"Oh it is useful you see." He said coolly. "you actually didn't think I wouldn't be prepared for this?" There was a large pocket in Slade's ankle, he leaned down; he didn't get out a weapon, but a device that looked like a pair of high tech headphones. "Once her memories are no longer a problem I will be able to train her as my own daughter, a perfect apprentice under my command. Don't you see I also have a kind side?"

"I see you're desperate" Raven said. "And that you don't pay attention to details."

The headphones where surrounded by black psychic energy, tried to be stolen from Slade's hand, however the strength he had made quite match for Ravens psychic. They both dragged the headphones their way, and when Slade finally seemed to be giving in… Slam! The hall door was opened in a banging sound and the Hound came in showing all teeth and claws. It ran after the first dozen bots it saw and crunched almost all of them in one bite, then wiped another battalion with its tail and lunched junk over to Slade and Raven. This made her lose focus and Slade tucked the headphones back on his pocket.

"Quite a party you have here." It said looking around, being surrounded by robots. "Mind you if I invite some friends? Spooksters time to work!" Dozens of ghastly dog spooksters floated out of the ground and the walls, unlike Jack's calm human ones, the Hound's spooksters had piercing teeth and were fierce looking. The pack of hounds jumped over the robots, ripping the metal apart like it was soft flesh; one after another the robots fell, unable to catch the phantom beasts. Soon, all that remained where pieces of metal all around the hall, the Hound standing arrogantly between them. "Now were more intimate. How about finishing this afternoon's fight?" He said looking right at Slade and Raven.

"I've got no time to be meddling with you", Slade said taking out his boo staff. Neither he or Raven were fighting now, they both stand on defense against the Hound, which on his side moved his head and saw Raven maliciously.

"Its not you I need to beat old man." It said, and then, for everyone's surprise another voice was heard. Jack's. "I need to take care, of the last of the Teen Titans." Raven gasped, without knowing she looked shocked, almost terrified. How had the Hound defeated Robin and Cyborg so quickly? "Go outside Raven, and I'll make it quick. Unless you want to suffer…"

"This is not the time" she said remembering how things could get worse if Terra returned to help Slade. "If I don't stop him the city will be in danger."

"Do you think a care about the city? We haven't attacked it because it had done nothing to us, but that doesn't mean we care what happens to it. Never less the Teen Titans did attack us, and for that, we must fight back." Both minds were taking turns to speak, the Hound was still smiling and enjoying the chaos, while Jack seemed more concern about the situation, in some way, sorry for what he was about to do. "You attack me, attack both of us. We can't change what we are, or forget it neither, I learned that the hard way, now, go outside."

The Hound slammed its tail against one of the walls and opened a hole, outside, the huge trailer parking lot, just the right battlefield. Raven floated slowly outside, keeping an eye on Slade; he was back at the computer, setting it up for the reanimation process, he couldn't care less whichever of them won, or lost.

She walked by the beast until they reached the center of the lot, then, she grabbed a truck with telepathy and threw it over the Hound. It horned it and sent it flying once more.

"Trying to end this quickly wont help!" it shouted swinging its tail once again, Raven shot upwards and from there threw several containers and iron pipes which the Hound avoided by inches. One last container was ripped in half when the Hound jumped to try and bite Raven without success, but getting to hit her on the head. Both of them fell to the ground, Raven stood up quickly just to find herself under the hound's fangs, and feeling how one of its claws fell gently on her waist, ready to cut her in half. "Quite an embarrassing situation don't you think?"

"It depends" she said coolly. "What are you going to do?"

"I was planning to let you go, y have already proved I can defeat you lot, however. I am curious, of knowing which your worst nightmare is, and maybe, make it come true." The Hound came nearer to her, its breath, unlike Jack's was like a blizzard, strong, and frozen. Raven closed her eyes and turned her head, trying to avoid the Hound's gaze from driving her mad; this only made the Hound laugh. "Closing your eyes will only make it worse, I attack your fears, your mind, not your body, I feed from them, grow stronger, now let's see…"

Raven heard a whistling sound become louder and louder, then stopped, and when she opened her eyes, there was nothing, no Hound over her, no ice cold breath, but also no parking lot or lab, they where in a bizarre dimension, an infinite, dark abyss. Her mind.

"Nice place you've got here." She turned around, and saw standing on a floating stone, not only the Hound, but also Jack, riding over it. Wearing black heavy pants, a leather vest and bare feet, he held one of the Hounds claws in his left hand, a claw crafted like a sword. "Although I wouldn't have chosen this decoration."

"I need to stop thisJack." Raven came nearer to him, Jack and the Hound didn't move, they both showed the same fade smile. "If I don't stop Slade he will make one of my friends forget everything and could take over the city."

"You know we don't care. Lets finish this quick; I promise it won't hurt, not physically at least." Raven heard a weird buzzing in her head, it was growing stronger, stronger, becoming deafening, she kneeled in pain, the buzzing went on becoming unbearable. Images began to be projected, between the dark space in her mind, images of herself, her father, all her worst fears and concerns being exposed right away, she shut her eyes, stunned by pain, the buzzing kept getting stronger and the images showed more, deeper and more painful fears every second. Jack raised his sword, about to finish Raven off and then… made a swing, and cut the air. All of a sudden the buzzing and pain were gone as well as the images of Raven's fears.

Ground returned to its place, as well as the Hound and her. She opened her eyes, they were back at the parking lot, the Hound was still over her but its claw was now pointing her throat; the beast's smile had gone out, now he was serious, looking midair in a melancholic way.

"You take it from here Jack." It said. "I can't do anything now." It just took a few seconds, but the Hound slowly began shrinking, and transforming into something else, more human. The claw didn't move, it kept pointing at Ravens neck and when the transformation had ended, Jack stood in front of her, wearing the clothes he was using in her mind, and with his claw-sword still pointing at her neck.

"I…had never met… some that had managed to tame her fears that way… get up." Raven stood up carefully not to be struck by the blade. Jack was looking very surprised, nostalgic, and deep in his heart, sad. He had the same lost gaze his beast had. "My Hound can do nothing against you now; it can only feed from enemies who don't control their fear; and as for me, a mind like that deserves my respect." In a very quick movement he kneeled in front of her and held his sword in his open palms, offering it to her. "And my loyalty. From now on, my fang, and my sword are at you're service."

Raven stood awestruck, not knowing what to do or say, her knees where still trembling weakwith fear but still she was little pink by shame. Suddenly remembered what she was doing there she returned to her normal self and made a gesture for Jack to stand up.

"I've got a work for you." She told him. "But we'll do it without dogs this time."

A whistling sound was heard outside; Slade didn't paid attention to it, so close to success he couldn't let anything distract him. Entered the final formulas the only thing he had to do was enter the security codes for the experiment to begin. He connected his code breaker, a small metal box. A "beep" sound indicated everything was ready and going. The machines made a loud noise while the energy level in the container raised over half its usual quantity, long steel sticks came out of the machines walls and out of these, bolts of lightning that pierced the statue and made it shine. The process was almost complete now, the statue began to crumble, and whole pieces of it fell apart like scales, exposing what they had been trapping for so long, still alive human flesh.

Slade enthusiasm was growing, although he gave no sign of it, he walked near the machine, holding in his hands one of the scientists robes. The pieces of molten lava fell from Terra's skin dragging her clothes with them; when the process finally finished, her unconscious body fell on Slade's arm, which covered the naked girl with the white coat. Now, the last part of the operation was to be completed, he got out of his pocket, and was about to place them on Terra when…

"That! Now!" Raven yelled, Jack's sword flew through the air like a boomerang filled with dark energy, it hit Slade's hand and cut the headphones by half, Slade's hand bleed horribly and his blood fell over Terra's cheek. "I can't believe it did work." Raven said skeptic looking at Terra in Slade's arms. "Now handle her."

Slade ran towards an emergency door on the other side of the hall, the blood in his hand stained the white robes in which he held Terra and walking between the labs machines and his own robots pieces didn't make the escape any easier. Jack stretched his hand to the right, grabbed the body of one of the crab-bots and threw it over to Slade; it fell just in front of him, and blocked his way out. Jack's sword swirled through the air and came spinning back at him, he stretched his left hand in the air and couth it right away, he and Raven cornered Slade against the robots body, but he still didn't give up on getting away with her.

"Give her back." Raven ordered. "She won't obey you now." Her words were almost as an alarm, telling terra to wake up, she opened her eyes weakly, but instantly her face turned into fear. Jack turned into the Hound, as quick as he had turned back to Jack, and jumped over Slade; he got out a lance, his old boo-staff with a sharp edge, and pointed it at its chest.

Terra didn't know what to fear most: having blood over her face and clothes and don't knowing why, the huge demonic dog over her, or if being naked on Slade's arms, but suddenly a stone column shot out of the ground and hit both, Slades back and the Hounds head. The three of them fell down; Terra still couldn't feel her legs and couldn't walk. The Hound and Slade stood up quickly, the dog charged over Slade and sent him flying over to the halls wall, he managed to assume his position and jumped on the wall to attack the Hound once again, this time Raven covered his armor on black psychic energy and crashed him again on the wall, that for everyone's surprise fell in pieces.

Raven ran to help Terra stand up, she was all nervous that Raven would be mad at her, that any of the Titans would be, although she couldn't blame them; for her surprise Raven held her shoulder and gave her a weak smile.

"I was starting to think you wouldn't get out of there." She said, Terra also smiled and hugged her as tight as she could, which wasn't at all tight, her arms also were weak.

Jack returned to his human shape, ran through the hole in the wall to look for Slade, stood out, looked at both sides and then up. He kicked the ground disappointed and went back inside.

"Hey rock head." He said referring to Terra. "He ran away, I guess. He must have learned not to meddle with me." Then he turned to Raven. "I'm out of here. Already had my fun, nothing left to do." He turned around and began walking, but.

"Wait" Raven ordered. "You are still at my service, remember?" Jack looked over his shoulder, gave them a stare and grinned. Raven grinned as well still helping Terra stand up. "You're taking us back to the hospital."

Of course I'm leaving it here, one chapter to go for this fict, but that doesn't mean the story is over…

Have some consideration: If you liked it, good. If you didn't, oh well, but like it or not: please review!

Disclaimer: I don't know if Terra is being revived later in the series, all I do care is that I need her for my story. Apologies to any resentful Terra fan. I didn't want to mess around too much about the Titans worst fears, so I didn't go deeper on that subject either.